Do you hear that? Of course you don’t. Since this is written, how could you hear anything? Even if it weren’t written, you still wouldn't hear anything. That thing that you don’t hear is not the sound of silence, it is the sound of Morgan Adams.

What you don’t hear with Morgan speaks volumes about her character. When you sit in a class with her, you don’t hear her complain about the readings, the homework, or the teacher. You won’t hear her spreading gossip about her classmates, or complaining about her team. You won’t hear her talking about her accomplishments, her grades, or her notes, or the scholarships she receives.

If you look closely, however, you will see meticulous notes, organized, retyped, with important words and arcane symbols — she is in calculus, after all — highlighted. You will see an avid reader, who dives deeply into the series she reads. You will see a student who exemplifies several of the pillars. She is open to growth, always putting herself to a new challenge. Her grades and curiosity attest to her intellectual competence. The time she quietly donates to her class, without seeking acclaim, attests to her loving nature — if not the dedication she gives to the kindergarten. Her commitment to social justice is shown threw the hours that she volunteers for school and for the community.

While her character may at times seem … supernatural, her silence really isn’t. If you listen closely, you will hear the sound of constant mirth, an outpouring of laughter because of jokes that she hears because … well, because she is so quiet. Sometimes, observation is the greatest entertainment.

These are the reasons Mr. Riggs has chosen Morgan Adams to be his student of the week.Patrick Riggs Principal